Tips for keeping green peas fresh in the refrigerator for an extended period
Winter is the season to gather colorful, flavorful, and in-season fruits and vegetables. Green peas are a winter vegetable that people all over the world love. These green pods are a fantastic source of different vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber in addition to being loaded with antioxidants. Whether consumed raw during harvest or frozen, green peas have earned a reputation as a popular and adaptable component in cuisines all over the world.
Let's investigate ways to keep green peas fresher at home so we can eat them practically all year round!
- Start by removing the peas from their pods and throwing away any that are damaged or discolored.
- The blanching process comes next. Using a strainer or a blanching basket, blanch those peas in boiling water for one to two minutes. Subsequently, quickly place them in an ice bath. This procedure preserves its maximum nutritional value in addition to preserving its vivid green color. According to Chowdhury, blanching is crucial for inactivating enzymes and lowering the microbial load on the peas, which minimizes the chance of bacterial or microbial growth during storage.
- After they've cooled, pat them dry with a fresh paper towel or kitchen towel.
- These peas can now be kept in freezer-safe containers, heavy-duty freezer bags, or airtight zip-lock bags. Before packaging, it is advised to portion the peas into individual meal-sized portions in order to keep any leftovers from coming into contact with the air.
- Label them with the date of packaging so that you can later determine how fresh those peas are.
- Lastly, you can store it in the freezer and eat it over the following eight to twelve months.
- After bringing 3 to 4 liters of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon salt, 2 teaspoons sugar, and a pinch of baking soda (optional, but it will make the color brighter for longer).
- Add the green peas and cook for just two minutes, or until the water is bubbling hot.
- Put this right away in some ice-cold water. "We don't want to cook the green peas because that will avoid unsightly wrinkles on the skin's surface," said Shah.
- The process of drying is crucial. By doing this, you can be sure that your frozen green peas won't stick together when frozen.
Baking soda merely raises the pH of the water to a slightly alkaline level, which intensifies the green hue and increases stability. I heartily endorse it, Shah continued.
You can increase the likelihood that peas will stay bright green for a full year in the freezer by following these instructions. For best results, use fresh, high-quality peas, according to clinical nutritionist Garima Goyal.
- Color retention: Blanching stops the enzymes that cause color fading in peas, allowing their vivid green color to be retained. According to Goyal, this keeps their visual appeal.
- Texture preservation: Blanching helps to preserve the crisp texture of peas by inhibiting the activity of enzymes that can break down cell walls.
- Retention of nutrients: Blanching may cause some nutrient loss, but it is negligible in comparison to other cooking techniques. Blanching preserves a large amount of the nutrients in the peas.
- Enzyme inactivation: Blanching keeps the peas' original flavor intact by inactivating enzymes that may alter their flavor.
- Cleaning & surface impurity removal: Blanching improves the safety of peas by cleaning them and getting rid of any bacteria or surface impurities.